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Inspired by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, Infinite Summer sees Michael Lovett’s NZCA Lines “marry sci-fi futurism to personal intimacies” to produce what must surely be one of the funkiest apocalyptic concept albums of all time. Indeed, also featuring former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley and drummer Sarah Jones (Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club), the follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut may center on […]

Named after a term used for trained assassins he heard in a documentary on espionage, Skilled Mechanics sees trip-hop trailblazer Tricky assemble his own killer team for the most collaborative studio effort of his lengthy career. Some of those on board are no stranger to the world of Adrian Thaws, including regular vocalist Francesca Belmonte who lends her sultry tones to the eerie synth-balladry of “We Begin,” drummer Luke Harris […]

As you’d expect from a founding member of studious classical-electro outfit Clean Bandit, British-Ugandan vocalist/rapper Love Ssega certainly isn’t short on brainpower. Born and raised in South London, the 24-year-old graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then made the brave decision to quit the aforementioned Grammy winners to finish his Ph.D. in laser sensing. Love Ssega (real name Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is just as cultured as he […]

Judging by all the pre-release talk of shunning EDM, steering dance music back into a proper direction and making a piece of art, you’d expect Steve Angello’s second solo LP, Wild Youth, to be something of a game-changer. So it’s slightly baffling to hear that the Stockholm DJ has delivered the kind of unadventurous, generic and largely forgettable record he appears to be rallying against. Indeed, featuring guest appearances from […]

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

So after crowning Jamie xx’s “Loud Places” and Bob Moses’ Days Gone By as the greatest single and album of 2015 respectively, we now switch our attention to what we can expect to hear over the next twelve months in the world of dance/electronica. The first big album out of the blocks this year is Moth (Jan 22), the third album from alt-pop duo Chairlift, which judging by its first […]

R&B Music

It’s not always the strength of a voice, but rather how it is used. Enter Nylo, a 23-year-old Chicago native signed to Epic Records last year. Her voice is sweet and gentle, cooing the ears with sugary melodies and evoking Aaliyah, Sarah McLachlan and even Lee Ann Womack. However, the intricate arrangements – courtesy of Nylo herself and Grammy award-winner Tricky Stewart and Fisticuffs, among others – are navigated with […]

Ciara is the most underrated female R&B artist of the last decade. Despite her eight Billboard 100 top-ten singles, she is seldom mentioned in the same sentence as Beyoncé or Alicia Keys. Despite sneak-attacking the industry with the uber-hit “Goodies” featuring Petey Pablo in 2004, and subsequently releasing the Goodies album to triple-platinum success, Jazze Pha’s protege has failed to match the buzz of her earlier career. There are a […]

After years of quietly earning stripes as the most wanted hook-man for up-and-coming L.A. rappers such as Pac Div, Ty Dolla Sign ushered in the age of ratchet with “Toot It and Boot It,” a song from Def Jam upstart YG. Formerly of the group Ty & Kory, Ty Dolla Sign produced and sang on the raunchy anthem to one-night stands and instantly put himself on the radar of major […]

The brand of artistry that India.Arie represents is scarce in today’s overly sexual R&B scene. As the leader of acoustic neo-soul, her music has a vintage yet timeless sound. Simultaneous to songs that pull heart strings, Arie also packs messages of black self-empowerment, and she owes the message in the song “Video,” an anti-video vixen anthem, to winning over audiences in 2002. Ten years into her career, Arie continues to […]

Not since R. Kelly has an R&B artist emerged with a complete package – a signature sound, voice and a mighty pen – the way that The-Dream has managed to do. Coming out of Atlanta as a songwriter for B2K and ex-wife Nivea, Terius Nash solidified his pop songwriting prowess when he penned the smash hit “Umbrella” for Rihanna. The brass at Def Jam subsequently allowed The-Dream to shine through […]

It has been four long years since India.Arie, the multiple Grammy-winning neo-soul songstress, has released an album. Fans of the “Brown Skin” singer can rejoice: this summer, she will release her fifth studio album, titled SongVersation. While the album is not scheduled to drop until June 25th on Soulbird/Motown Records, the first single, “Cocoa Butter,” is currently making its way to radio (stream it here) and will be available on […]

After a hiatus to do his Hollywood thing – say what you will, but hey, In Time wasn’t a bad flick – Justin Timberlake has decided to get back to his roots and put out an album. Just before The 20/20 Experience was released, the news hit that a 10-track sequel, The 20/20 Experience Vol. 2, would be released later this year (and explains the title concept). Oh, that clever […]

Valentine’s Day is a joyous occasion for all the lovers out there. Hands will be held ever so tightly and lovely gift exchanges between couples will become commonplace. Roses, chocolates, teddy bears and five star restaurant reservations play a huge part in guaranteeing you some good loving. But the lovely sounds of passionate R&B music can seal the deal even more. There’s going to be a period where the hugs […]

One of the biggest stories coming from the Superbowl was the major blackout after the halftime show. The lights went dim for close to half an hour and everyone flocked to Facebook/Twitter to give their witty opinions on the matter. One of the biggest reasons why people thought the power went out? Because Beyoncé and her halftime extravaganza sapped all the power out of the stadium. I tend to think […]

2012 was kind of a down year for R&B. Frank Ocean and Miguel may have presented most of the best music the genre had to offer, but they didn’t have much help from their melodic peers. Now that 2013 is here, we’ve already heard some glimmers of hope. Thank God that Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake entered people’s timeline’s and iTunes libraries with new music. Now that the R&B year […]

In 2013, after years of solo singles and self-attained musical stardom, the Destiny’s Child reunion is now front and center. In advance of the R&B trio’s much-anticipated upcoming performance at this year’s Superbowl Halftime Show, they have released a new single, “Nuclear,” and announced that their new album Love Songs, their first release as a group in eight years, is now on the way. When Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and […]

Although 2012 was a pretty quiet year on the R&B tip, a few songs from the genre made some noise, so we’d like to pay them respect. Some of you guys might have even forgotten about these songs, since a couple of them weren’t given as much attention as hip-hop/rap this year. As a matter of fact, some of these songs weren’t even given proper radio play. But they still […]

Method Man and Mary J. Blige seem to have perfected the rap/hip-hop and R&B synergy better than most. It seems everyone and their mother has heard “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By” at least once in their lifetime. True rap/hip-hop and R&B heads look back on this song fondly, and the newer generation is just becoming familiar with the song’s brilliance. In 2012, the dopest […]

Chrisette Michele has quietly built herself a respectable body of work over the years. She’s lent her soothing vocals to songs featuring The Game and Jay-Z. She’s the recipient of a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song “Be OK.” And her collection of albums/mixtapes offers R&B listeners a unique set of songs that set the mood right. As its name suggests, Chrisette Michele’s newly released […]

A great R&B song contains these basic elements: wonderful vocals, a strong topic of emotional interest, solid production, and true to life lyrics. The-Dream obviously knows this formula well, since he follows it for his re-released free album 1977. The singer/producer enters a very personal zone as he informs listeners about his last tumultuous relationship through his music, but he also makes sure to get back to catchy singles with […]